The bar area is a significant part of any restaurant. It is a place where customers can meet to enjoy quick drinks during happy and after-work hours. It also provides extra seating for potential diners, keeping them busy as they wait for tables. This way, bars are an additional revenue stream for establishments.
For your bar area to work, it must be appealing, cozy, and comfortable. One way to achieve this is through a unique design and bar decor.
Here are eight bar decor ideas to help you create the perfect space and run a successful bar. We’ll also discuss a few factors to consider when planning your bar décor to make it easy for you to customize our ideas to your style.
The Difference Decor Can Make in Your Bar
Bar decor contributes to the overall success of your restaurant in many ways. When you get it right, a few things will happen:
- More people will visit your bar and want to stay longer. Well-thought-out bar decor attracts more guests and makes them comfortable enough to stay longer. The longer guests stay at the bar, the more likely they will buy several drinks, making you more money.
- You’ll earn your customers’ loyalty. Perfect bar decor leaves a lasting impression on guests as they create memorable experiences on your premises. The great memories will keep them coming back for more.
- Word-of-mouth marketing. Word about a memorable and stylish bar gets around fast, prompting more potential guests to visit your establishment.
8 Creative Bar Decor Ideas
Here are some creative bar decor ideas you can draw inspiration from:
1. Experiment With Color
Color is one of the most essential elements of interior decoration and design. It affects how an individual sees the space within a room. Different colors and color combinations also evoke various emotions.
Ideally, your bar section should pop out from the rest of your restaurant space. Don’t be afraid to use funky prints or bold colors to bring out a celebratory mood.
You can opt for patterned décor to create a feature wall. But you’ll have to pair this with soft fixtures in complementary single hues to achieve balance. Otherwise, your space might become overwhelming.
You can also add pops of color by placing small potted plants and table accessories around your space. These decor options work well if you have neutral tones for your walls.
2. Use Art & Statement Pieces as a Backdrop
Art, ornaments, and other statement pieces add personality to your bar area. Preferably, go for attention-grabbing pieces to make your bar section the focal point of your restaurant. Colorful wine wall art pieces might work well for this purpose.
You may also want to consider handmade ornaments or paintings that match your space’s design theme. Great art also works perfectly as home bar decor. Consider this idea if you’re looking to switch things in your home bar as well.
3. Get Playful With Your Lighting
Lighting sets the mood in your bar. Use decorative light fixtures that allow you to adjust and play with their brightness to balance softness and warmth so your space feels cozy.
The best decorative light fixtures also command attention while making your space appear inviting. You can choose between traditional fixtures, like chandeliers, or modern rustic lighting. Also, if your bar space is large enough, consider recessed lighting to illuminate specific areas, such as your prep station, and add to the space’s ambiance.
4. Turn Glassware Into Décor
Your glassware can double up as bar decor pieces. Try to combine colorful glassware with clear glasses, then create a neat display that’ll make your space attractive.
If you have enough vertical space, consider having an open shelving system where you showcase your glassware while alternating with other aesthetic bar decor items. You may also feature a creative set of glassware personalized with your brand elements.
5. Display Your Drinks Collection
Build a backlit shelving behind your bar to draw your guests’ attention to your impressive collection of drinks. A bar with shelves of creatively arranged bottles of rare spirits, wines, and beers will turn heads and act as great conversation starters, setting the stage for people to have a good time.
You can also create unique rustic pallet racks for this purpose. Pallet racks for drinks display would also work perfectly as home bar decor.
Another liquor display décor idea you can work with if your bar’s size allows is placing bottles on a tired LED-lit surface. You can even ensure the lighting beneath the bottles changes color frequently to give guests an amazing show.
6. Make Good Use of Bar Signs
Make use of wall signs with a vintage style to proudly and warmly invite guests into your bar area. As restaurant bar decor items, such signs inject personality and character into your space, even more so if you include text customized to your target clients. You can also use signs to grab your customers’ attention by adding funny lines of text.
Your creativity here can make your bar stand out, gaining a competitive edge over other options in your neighborhood.
7. Get Inspired by Nature
To add life to your space, bring the outside in by introducing fresh flowers, large plants, or herbs into the area. You may want to consider specific herbs, such as basil, mint, and rosemary. They’re a perfect addition to your bar because they’re functional.
You can use these in your cocktails. Just make sure not to overuse your herb plants and strip them of all their leaves!
8. Sneak In Personal Touches
Add personal finishing touches to your bar area’s furnishings to help communicate your brand’s story. For example, you may have your stools embroidered with your logo. Or, introduce small moveable interior décor elements as table accessories.
You could, for instance, customize these cool, eye-catching, battery-operated flickering, flameless candles or table lamp fairy lights for this purpose. You can use them to set the tone for a cozy, comfortable atmosphere in your restaurant bar, especially at night.
Factors to Consider When Planning Your Décor
More often than not, people go to bars to have a great time. To ensure this happens, there are specific factors you ought to consider when planning your commercial restaurant bar décor, including the following:
1. Your Brand’s Vision
The first step to getting your restaurant bar décor right is to clarify your brand’s vision. What aspects make your bar unique, and what purpose does it serve? Will your bar space be the new chill spot in town on your restaurant’s bottom floor? Or, will it be next to the entrance to serve passersby looking for a quick rest?
Once you choose your bar’s identity, create a plan to guide your bar design and décor process to ensure your brand’s vision comes to life.
2. Design Theme & Layout
Once you have a vision, pick a design theme. This sets the foundation upon which all your bar décor elements will focus on. You can work with various types of décor in different sections of your bar, but they should focus on the same theme. It should communicate what your brand is about and tell your story.
Doing this will bring visual harmony into your space, making customers feel safe and comfortable. Also, choose your restaurant bar design layout beforehand because this will affect your space’s visual flair.
3. Lighting
Lighting is essential to creating the right ambiance in your space. Expertly placed lighting can add a new dimension to a room. It can help to create depth and height, drawing attention to the most impressive elements.
For your bar area, you want to choose comfortable lighting that’s not too bright or dim to the point your bar area appears dingy. Finding the perfect balance between light and shade will also affect the energy of your bar section. We’ve suggested a few ways you can achieve this balance above.
4. Furnishings
You want to select furniture and tabletops that match your design theme and décor while paying attention to the space you have. If you’re going for vintage style décor, your fixtures should reflect the same. If you prefer a simple modern style, it’s best to ensure everything matches.
5. Entertainment
Most bar owners use the available space to accommodate live entertainment and games such as dart boards, billiards tables, and more. You can plan for this if you have enough space to work with. Factoring in entertainment and games into your bar’s interior design and décor will make your space more lucrative, especially if you host events in your restaurant.
You’ll be able to host more fun events and make more money. If you choose this route, consider using event management tools like Perfect Venue to simplify your event hosting tasks.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking to decorate a new restaurant bar section or spruce up your current setting, all the bar décor ideas above will help you create a space that’ll allow you to thrive in the restaurant industry.
Remember, design and décor are two sides of the same coin. They should complement each other. With style and functionality in mind, let your overall restaurant design theme drive the selection of materials, colors, textures, and forms of your décor elements. So, you create an interior environment whose story guests connect to and associate your brand with.
To add, avoid going for permanent décor options. Keep it flexible, especially if you host and manage different events in your restaurant. It’ll be easier to tailor your décor to meet different client’s needs and generate more revenue this way.
You may also want to automate various aspects of your event venue management business using platforms like Perfect Venue to increase event sales and make more money. Book a free demo and check out how the platform can help you increase revenue.
